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Legislative staff union surveying potential members ahead of town hall

Monday, Oct 16, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

House Staff and House Clerk Staff, we will be hosting a virtual town hall on Wednesday 10/18 and an in-person town hall Thursday 10/19. Take the survey below to answer a few questions!

In the next week or so, we will be hosting a town hall for all legislative staff. #twill pic.twitter.com/ZTkVOFoYMy

— Illinois Legislative Staff Association (@ILSA217) October 16, 2023

* Survey…

The ILSA Town Halls will be a place to discuss what has been going on with ILSA, HB 4148, and give your input on what changes you’d like to see implemented. […]

Which provisional asks would you like to see implemented in the workplace prior to ILSA entering into a collective bargaining contract?

• Minimum monthly salary increase for all positions
• Proposed salary increases would preserve raises included above base pay
• Pay increases would be retroactive to the beginning of Fiscal Year 24 (July 1, 2023)
• Base payroll money for district staff being separate from district allotment funds
• Staff to member ratios increase to accommodate how many members in HDems Caucus
• Annual inflation COLA
• Comp time formula transparency
• Comp time formula changed to 1:1 if no overtime paid
• Comp time be awarded for all sessions (Veto, Lame Duck, Special Session, etc.)
• On non-session periods, minimum remote work 3 days per week without a special reason or additional requirements
• Flex hours (such as summer flex hours offered to Speaker’s Staff this summer) be extended as normal procedure during non-session periods and consistent through all units
• All staff receive one Friday off per month during non-session months without impacting leave balances
• Fully paid parental leave for all parnets (birthing and non-birthing) commensurate with the rest of Illinois state government (12 weeks)
• Rotating staff kept in office after adjournment, rather than arbitrarily keeping everyone in office
• Leaving at 4:30 p.m. on Mondays before a Tuesday session
• No doctor’s notes required for sick days
• Timekeeping be performed through TES only - not worksheets or other methods
• Training for staff is structured, comprehensive, and detailed–including for district staff

Thoughts?

33 Comments

Afternoon roundup

Monday, Oct 16, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From December of 2018…

* The 2018 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best In-House Lobbyist goes to Adrienne Alexander with AFSCME Council 31…

Adrienne is smart and strategic and has great relationships. She understands politics and policy, from numerous angles. She’s been extremely effective as a lobbyist for years at both the state and city level. I wish I could steal her from AFSCME.

Alexander was listed as one of Crain’s Chicago Business’ “40 under 40″ today…

Union membership runs in Adrienne Alexander’s blood.

Her grandfather moved to Michigan during the Great Migration to work in a General Motors plant. Her grandmother served as a union steward in a hospital, and her other grandfather joined the ranks of the U.S. Postal Service. Those jobs, and their associated pensions, paved a path toward the middle class for a Black family, Alexander said.

“It was very clear to me the difference that it made for their lives,” she said. “They were able to send many of their kids to college and, in one generation, because of that union, it completely changed the family trajectory.”

It’s no surprise, then, that Alexander’s own career at the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees has focused on pension fight after pension fight in Illinois since she joined the public employee union in 2010. As a lobbyist for AFSCME, Alexander herds elected officials at the city, state and county levels in Illinois. While she describes their work on pensions as a team effort, she emerged as the point person for a Chicago City Council ordinance passed this spring— referred to by supporters as a “labor peace agreement” — requiring labor deals for human services workers.

Congratulations!

* IDFPR…

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (“IDFPR”) announced today that Camile Lindsay will serve as the next Acting Director of Professional Regulation, pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate. Appointed by Governor JB Pritzker, Lindsay previously served in the Pritzker Administration as First Assistant Deputy Governor for infrastructure, public safety, environment, and energy. […]

As First Assistant Deputy Governor for infrastructure, public safety, environment, and energy, Lindsay was responsible for overseeing several Illinois state agencies, including the Department of Transportation, State Police, Department of Corrections, Emergency Management Agency, and the Capital Development Board. Prior to joining the Governor’s office, Lindsay served as Chief of Staff and Chief Legal Counsel for the Illinois Department of Corrections. Earlier in her career, she worked as Supervisory Regional Counsel for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Assistant Attorney General for the Illinois Attorney General’s office, and Assistant State’s Attorney for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office.

Lindsay has a big job ahead of her.

* I’m hearing at least two state legislators have tested positive for COVID ahead of veto session…

The Illinois Department of Public Health says that although COVID-19 hospitalizations are at a low level across the state, Illinoisans should not wait to get vaccinated against wintertime respiratory illnesses.

IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said Illinois is beginning to see an increase in RSV activity, which will likely be followed by flu and COVID-19 over the coming weeks and months. Dr. Vohra says the best protection against these diseases is having vaccinations up to date.

“We are fortunate to have tools this season to protect Illinois residents from COVID-19, flu, and RSV,” he said.

Last month, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended newly reformulated COVID-19 shots for everyone over the age of 6 months. The federal agencies have given the green light for updated mRNA vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer that target the currently circulating strains of the COVID-19 virus. They also have recently approved an updated Novavax COVID-19 vaccine. These newly approved shots are considered safe when given at the same time as other vaccines for the flu and RSV.

* She reported giving her campaign $15,000 back in June…

#IL88 House candidate Regan Deering announces that she's raised $73K in the 3Q. Report hasn't been posted yet to @illinoissbe, so unclear how much of it was self-funded. She did receive $6,900 from conservative megadonor Dick Uihlein, however. #twill

— Brenden Moore (@brendenmoore13) October 16, 2023

* Interesting…

NEW: Ald. Jim Gardiner reported another $8,073 to criminal defense attorneys at Loeb & Loeb related to the FBI corruption probe into the alderman. This brings his total expenditures on criminal defense attorneys (completely separate from his various civil lawsuits) to $100,771. pic.twitter.com/VRmG1FRpx8

— The People’s Fabric (@peoplesfabric) October 16, 2023

* No mention of the hilarious spat with the Senate in this Fra Noi hagiography…

In a political landscape that’s bitterly divided, Illinois Rep. Anthony DeLuca is an increasingly rare breed of elected official.

“Anthony is a bridge builder. He’s a consensus builder,” Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans President Ron Onesti says. “His fellow legislators know that if their constituents have a need, Anthony will listen to them and do everything in his power to meet that need, regardless of their party, because it’s the right thing to do. As a result, he’s one of the most respected legislators in Springfield.”

Though rooted in principle, DeLuca’s approach has a significant fringe benefit. “When the time comes for him to need help, [his colleagues] are very interested in hearing what it’s all about and how they can be a part of it, even if their positions don’t directly align with his,” Onesti notes.

DeLuca drew deeply from that reservoir of good will to assure the passage of House Bill 1199, Section 1. The legislation finally achieved the long sought-after goal of permanently recognizing October as Italian American Heritage Month in Illinois.

* I never heard of a Serval until one got loose in Decatur…

Animal Control is aware of a Serval that is loose on the North East side of the City of Decatur. We are working with an…

Posted by Macon County Animal Control and Care Center on Monday, October 16, 2023

* Isabel’s afternoon roundup…

Sun-Times | Plainfield man fatally stabbed 6-year-old Muslim boy after listening to conservative talk radio, worrying about his safety, prosecutors say:

* Tribune | Man accused of fatally stabbing of Palestinian boy ordered detained on murder, hate crime charges: Meanwhile, federal authorities including the FBI and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice have launched an investigation into the attack. A statement released Monday said the FBI “takes the investigation of hate crimes extremely seriously” but did not provide further information, citing the ongoing probe. Federal prosecutors can seek the death penalty for defendants convicted of causing a death related hate crime.

* Daily Herald | Authorities: Landlord who killed 6-year-old boy ‘heavily interested’ in Middle East events: Fitzgerald said Czuba and his wife rented two rooms to the boy’s mother, Hanaan Shahin, for the last two years. Czuba’s wife told authorities that her husband had been listening to conservative news programs and was “heavily interested” in events in the Middle East and reports about the Day of Jihad in the United States on Oct. 13.

* Crain’s | Illinois politicians condemn anti-Muslim hate crime in Plainfield: “To take a six-year-old child’s life in the name of bigotry is nothing short of evil,” Pritzker said. “Wadea should be heading to school in the morning. Instead, his parents will wake up without their son. This wasn’t just a murder — it was a hate crime.” Around 85,000 Palestinians live in the Chicago area, making up 60% of the region’s Arab population, the website Arab America reports. Chicago has drawn Palestinian immigrants since the turn of the century, according to Marquette University sociologist Louise Cainkar.

* WCIA | IDHS agency holding listening session on homelessness in Decatur: The goal of the gathering is to hear feedback on what needs improvements, what is working well, and recommendations people have for homeless services and the Home Illinois Plan. All voices are welcome, especially those who have experienced homelessness themselves. The feedback is intended to help the state better serve the homeless and those who are experiencing housing insecurity.

* Tribune | Trial opens for 2 former Cook County state’s attorneys charged in fallout over infamous Jackie Wilson case: The former assistant state’s attorneys, Nicholas Trutenko and Andrew Horvatare so eager to prove their innocence, their attorneys have said, that they demanded a speedy trial at arraignment despite nearly 290,000 pages of evidence in discovery. The pair were charged in connection with the prosecution of a man who the courts have said was wrongfully convicted — Jackie Wilson — continuing the 40-year chronicle of the case against Wilson, who was charged along with his brother Andrew with killing Officers William Fahey and Richard O’Brien in 1982.

* Crain’s | Johnson’s ‘Treatment Not Trauma’ plans start to take shape: Budget documents show Johnson is allocating $4.8 million to specifically expand mental health services provided under the Chicago Department of Public Health, which includes opening two pilot clinics in existing CDPH buildings and adding mental health workers to support them.

* WCVB | ‘We do not have enough space’ in Massachusetts shelters, Gov. Healey says: Massachusetts’ emergency shelter system is “on the verge of reaching capacity,” and Gov. Maura Healey’s administration is implementing capacity limits while demanding more support from the federal government. Forty families have entered the Massachusetts emergency shelter system in the past 24 hours, according to state data that shows the total number of families in the system is now nearing 7,000.

* Rockford Register Star | Rockford-area official faces more than 100 years in prison on several charges: The indictment alleges that, while serving as county clerk and recorder, Bliss stole money from the county and used a Boone County credit card to pay for personal expenses, including purchasing groceries and tires for her personal vehicle and paying off personal debt.

* WMBD | Students ordered out of unlicensed facilities by Illinois Education Board: An ISBE news release shows that the three facilities are owned by Menta and function as therapeutic day schools for students with social-emotional disabilities. The Menta facilities had applied for ISBE approval in the spring of 2023. However, none had received approval before serving and enrolling students. […] Investigators discovered “troubling” restraint and time-out practices at the Springfield and Centralia locations.

* SJ-R | Dan Wright appointed as Seventh Judicial Circuit associate judge: It will be up to the Sangamon County Board to appoint an interim state’s attorney. There was no immediate word on when Wright was going to be sworn-in as judge. A Republican, Wright was appointed state’s attorney in 2018 succeeding John C. Milhiser, who had been appointed U.S. attorney for the Central District of Illinois by then-President Donald Trump.

* Daily Herald | Donald Trump Jr. to appear at McHenry County GOP committee fundraiser: Karen Tirio, chair of MCGOPAC, a Republican political action committee, said the party is “blessed with a very robust” group of presidential candidates. But the MCGOPAC is endorsing Donald Trump as the Republican for president in next year’s election, she added.

* Patch | McHenry Co. State’s Attorney Responds To ‘Marijuana Moms’ Claims: McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally announced in September that cannabis dispensaries in McHenry County would be required to warn customers of potential side effects of the use of cannabis.

* Crain’s | A French meat alternative startup chooses Chicago for its U.S. headquarters: The announcement comes as the company said it raised $34.7 million, bringing its total The U.S. headquarters here is expected to open in early 2024 with expansions over the year, according to John Hatto, managing director of Umiami and former vice president of strategy for PepsiCo. Hatto will oversee the company’s North American operations. to $107 million in three years.

* Daily Herald | Nonprofit SCARCE gives trash a useful future: The nonprofit is called SCARCE, which stands for School & Community Assistance for Recycling and Composting Education. There, things many people would toss in the garbage without a second thought are given another chance at a useful future. Plastic bread chips are sent to Indianapolis to be melted down and remade into hangers. Pill bottles go to an emergency relief organization near Cincinnati. Plastic bags go to the local Jewel-Osco for recycling.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Fundraiser list

Monday, Oct 16, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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It should be illegal to shoot a dead horse this many times

Monday, Oct 16, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* As we’ve discussed before, a financial transaction tax has been off the table at least since May, when the governor, the House Speaker and the Senate President all turned a big thumbs down. Once again, here’s Bloomberg on September 18th…

The letters are stamped all over the hallways of Chicago’s giant skyscrapers and grand office buildings. DRW, IMC, CME, Cboe.

These are some of the derivatives firms that collectively handle trillions of dollars a year in trades, greasing the wheels of global markets with everything from stock options to corn futures. Most of them have called Chicago home for decades — providing thousands of jobs within the city’s $75 billion finance industry.

Now, the firms’ commitment to the Windy City is being tested by some $800 million in taxes proposed by a new mayor staring down a budget gap that’s swelled to half a billion dollars. One idea is a levy on financial transactions, which has alarmed companies already worried about a jump in crime that shows few signs of abating.

Behind the scenes, market makers and exchanges are working together to press their case with policymakers, with firms that typically compete with each other sharing data to help explain their economic benefits to Chicago. While executives haven’t explicitly threatened to leave, in private conversations it’s clear they will consider quitting the city if crime remains an issue and the financial transaction tax passes.

* Bloomberg on September 27…

Abbott’s remarks follow reports that CME and other financial firms in Chicago, including CBOE Global Markets Inc. and IMC, are alarmed by Mayor Brandon Johnson’s idea for $800 million in taxes, including a levy on financial transactions.

* Another article from Bloomberg on September 27…

Trading firms currently occupy more than 3.5 million square feet in the city, equivalent to 60 football fields. In the past three years, they’ve added about 700,000 square feet, and that doesn’t include the trading divisions of large banks such as JPMorgan Chase & Co. […]

[Johnson’s] administration has proposed new levies, including higher real estate transfer taxes and a financial transaction tax, prompting a reaction from Chicago’s trading community to push their case to the city.

* Bloomberg on October 6…

CME Chief Executive Officer Terry Duffy’S] commitment to Chicago is being tested as stubbornly high crime rates and a slew of taxes — including a financial-transaction levy proposed by Mayor Brandon Johnson — have him considering his options.

* Johnson, as expected, did not propose a transaction tax. So Bloomberg found another way to get at the issue today…

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said he would veto any legislation to impose a financial transaction tax that could harm Chicago’s storied exchanges and cause them to leave the state.

“Let me be clear, there is no financial transactions tax on the table, period,” the Democratic governor said in an interview with Bloomberg News. “There will not be support. I would veto it.” […]

At a press conference last week, the mayor dodged Bloomberg questions about what taxes proposed during his campaign are still on the table, limiting his comments to what has been presented in the budget.

“What I presented on Wednesday is what’s actually on the table,” he said. “There’s nothing new that I’m hiding. That’s what’s on the table.”

Still, he is setting up a subcommittee in City Council to find new sources of revenue.

Johnson dodged the question? *Facepalm*

15 Comments

Do The Right Thing – Extend The Tax Credit Scholarship

Monday, Oct 16, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

If the General Assembly fails to take action to save the Tax Credit Scholarship Program, then over 9,500 students from low-income families will lose their scholarships, causing many to leave their best-fit schools.

The kids who stand to lose opportunities are 20% Black and 30% Hispanic – proportions considerably higher than demographic populations in Illinois — and 100% of these students are from families with demonstrated financial need. Additionally, 26,000 more students from low-income and working-class families sit anxiously on the waitlist hoping to receive the same opportunities as some of their peers.

This program is an investment in poverty reduction and economic acceleration, so lawmakers should do the right thing: Extend the Tax Credit Scholarship Program.

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Bost boasts about fundraising, Bailey calls on him to return money from ‘woke companies’

Monday, Oct 16, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Bailey is a different sort of candidate, so he doesn’t need to keep pace with a seasoned fundraiser like Bost, but this is still not great. Sorensen and Budzinski did well…

Some downstate congressional 3Q fundraising numbers (raised July-Sept / cash on hand):#IL12
Bost ($518K / $1.17M)
Bailey ($156K / $108K)#IL13
Budzinski ($492K / $1.04M)#IL15
Miller ($211K / $451K)#IL16
LaHood ($365K / $4.74M)#IL17
Sorensen ($457K / $1.13M)#twill

— Brenden Moore (@brendenmoore13) October 16, 2023

* From Bost…

U.S. Representative Mike Bost (IL-12) today announced that his campaign has raised $517,000 in the quarter ending on September 30th and is approaching $1.2 million cash-on-hand. Bost outraised his primary opponent Darren Bailey by nearly $400,000 over the last 90 days and has nearly 12 times more money cash-on-hand.

“The scale of our fundraising advantage and the strength of our grassroots operation prove we have the momentum heading into the final quarter of 2023,” said Bost. “Southern Illinois voters understand how important it is that we have a proven, conservative leader at the helm for the battles ahead in Washington. There is still a lot of work left to be done, but I am confident that our campaign has the resources and experience to win a competitive primary.”

* Bailey…

Darren Bailey: Woke corporations like Bud Light fueling Mike Bost’s campaign

Xenia, IL – Darren Bailey, candidate for Congress in the 12th District, is calling on Mike Bost to stop taking money from woke companies and to return the donations, or donate them to a 12th District charity.

“Mike Bost claims to be a conservative, but he is taking thousands of dollars from companies that are going out of their way to promote woke ideology and attack conservative values,” Bailey said. “He has accepted campaign donations from JPMorgan Chase & Co., which has publicly stated they will pay their employees’ travel expenses to go out of state to have an abortion if they live in a state with more restrictive abortion laws. He even took money from Bud Light! Mike Bost continues to demonstrate his most sacred ‘value’ is his own re-election.”

According to the newest FEC quarterly filing report, Mike Bost has recently received upwards of $50,000 from woke companies and prominent Joe Biden donors in just the 2023 third quarter alone. Bailey is calling on Rep. Bost to either give the money back or give it to charity.

“How are we ever going to restore our nation if our own leaders continue to do the bidding of companies and organizations committed to undermining the values and principles that have made our nation great?” Bailey said. “Mike Bost may claim he is not going to be influenced by his donors, but we all know he is aware of who is donating to his campaign. There is a price that comes with donations from these woke corporations. I am not willing to pay that price even if it costs me this election. Mike Bost apparently is willing to sell his values to the highest bidder. He should give the money back or give it to charity.”

View Mike Bost’s latest report here.

25 Comments

The CCS Opportunity In Illinois

Monday, Oct 16, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Carbon capture and storage, or “CCS,” is a technology that captures carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions at their source and stores them deep underground. CCS is a proven and safe process and the Illinois State Geologic Survey has confirmed that our state’s geology is perfectly suited for this technology. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) enforces federal requirements to regulate the safety of the pipelines that will support CCS.

In addition to delivering a cleaner environment, CCS will generate $3.3 billion in value for the region and could spur 14,440 jobs. Now is the time to bring carbon capture technology and its environmental and economic benefits to Illinois. Policymakers must pass legislation to advance CCS and bring this opportunity to Illinois.

Learn more about the CCS opportunity in Illinois.

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Emerson College Poll: Biden’s Illinois job approval at 35-44, while Pritzker is at 41-35

Monday, Oct 16, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The pollster only surveyed 468 registered voters. Among those, just 108 were college graduates (excluding postgraduates), so we can probably ignore the subgroups right off the bat…

Joe Biden is losing college graduates to Trump. In Illinois.

Yeah right. https://t.co/owBeMGDrXF

— Thomas C. Bowen (@thomascbowen) October 15, 2023

The full Emerson College poll is here. Biden won Illinois by 17 points, and when the pollster asked respondents for whom they voted in 2020, Biden led by 17 points. But, again, this is a small sample size. Grain of salt, etc.

* From the pollster…

An Emerson College Polling survey of Illinois residents finds President Joe Biden with a 35% approval rating, while 44% disapprove of the job the president is doing in the Oval Office. Governor J. B. Pritzker carries a 41% approval rating, while 35% disapprove of the job he is doing as governor.

President Biden leads former President Trump by nine points in a hypothetical 2024 general election matchup, 43% to 34%. Fourteen percent support someone else and 9% are undecided. […]

Illinois residents were asked how much of a problem, in terms of affordability, is it to rent or buy a home in their area. Housing affordability is a ‘big problem’ for 41% of Illinois residents, while 31% say it is a ‘medium problem.’ Seventeen percent say housing affordability is a slight problem, and 11% say it is not a problem at all. Idaho residents were asked the same question this October, and 67% of residents described renting or buying to be a ‘big’ problem, while 23% considered it a medium problem, and 7% considered it to be a slight problem.

* Methodology…

The Emerson College Polling Illinois poll was conducted October 1-4, 2023. The sample consisted of 468 Illinois voters with a credibility interval, similar to a poll’s margin of error of +/- 4.5 percentage points; the sample of Illinois residents is n=489 with a credibility interval of 4.4 percentage points. The data sets were weighted by gender, age, race, party, and education based on the general population using a sample of n=489 participants and allowing the natural fallout to create the sample of n=468 voters. Turnout modeling is based on US Census parameters, and Illinois voter registration and voter turnout data by regions (IL SOS). Data was collected by contacting a list of emails provided by Aristotle, along with an online panel of voters provided by Alchemer.

Emerson has an A- rating from 538.

* Meanwhile…

Gov. J.B. Pritzker deposited another $12 million into his J.B. for Governor campaign fund earlier this month, his first personal cash infusion into the account since he won election to another term last November over Republican Darren Bailey.

Pritzker has put $335.55 million into his own campaign fund since March 2017, close to four times the amount that Bruce Rauner, his predecessor who briefly was the state’s top self-funding candidate, spent on his gubernatorial campaigns in 2014 and 2018.

There’s plenty more Pritzker money available, according to Forbes, which recently placed the governor’s net worth at $3.4 billion.

Thoughts?

36 Comments

Chicago Bears open thread

Monday, Oct 16, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Sigh…

Fighter jets practicing for a routine flyover at Sunday’s Chicago Bears game caused alarm for many on Friday.

Four jets were spotted flying over the city just after 1 p.m., causing confusion and concern among residents.

Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications confirmed in a statement Friday afternoon that the city “has not received any actionable threats” related to the latest war between Israel and Hamas, and the fighter jets reported along the lakefront and over downtown were practicing for the flyover before the start of the Bears game against the Minnesota Vikings.

* Hard sigh…

UPDATE: Bears bosses have changed their mind on Sunday’s fighter jet flyover. They now say it’ll happen, if the weather doesn’t interfere.

— Ben Bradley (@BenBradleyTV) October 13, 2023

* Hard, hard sigh…

learning to appreciate the Bears more as a long-running comedy of dysfunction and less as a competitive professional franchise is the only way I find any joy in it anymore.

— Jay Rigdon (@jayrigdon5) October 15, 2023

…Adding… Shaw Local…

Bears coach Matt Eberflus said Monday that quarterback Justin Fields is doubtful to play against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday after dislocating the thumb of his throwing hand.

Fields suffered the injury in the third quarter against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. X-rays came back negative and Eberflus didn’t have results from a MRI done Monday.

The Bears will know more by the end of the week.

32 Comments

*** UPDATED x2 *** Asylum-seekers coverage roundup

Monday, Oct 16, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* AP on the legal front…

A federal judge on Friday denied a bid by immigration advocates to prohibit U.S. officials from turning away asylum-seekers at border crossings with Mexico if they don’t have appointments on a mobile phone app.

The ruling is a victory for the Biden administration and its approach to creating new pathways to enter the United States, while, at the same time, making it more difficult for those who don’t follow prescribed methods to seek asylum. […]

The government appealed a decision to block a new rule that makes it more difficult to claim asylum for anyone who travels through another country, like Mexico, and enters the U.S. illegally. That rule remains in effect while under appeal.

Another closely watched case challenges a policy to grant a two-year stay for up to 30,000 people a month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela if they apply online with a financial sponsor and arrive at an airport. Texas is leading 21 states to argue that Biden overreached, saying it “amounts to the creation of a new visa program that allows hundreds of thousands of aliens to enter the United States who otherwise have no basis for doing so.”

* ABC7 on the local politics front …

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson will visit the southern border with multiple alderpeople this week.

Johnson said earlier this month that he will be making a trip to the border to see the migrant crisis first-hand.

*** UPDATE 1 *** The mayor changed his mind…

BREAKING: Mayor Brandon Johnson *WILL NOT* travel to the southern border this week, the mayor's office tells @wttw News.
Johnson has decided his time is better spent here in Chicago, grappling with the rapidly escalating number of buses arriving everyday, his spokesman said.

— Heather Cherone (@HeatherCherone) October 16, 2023

*** UPDATE 2 *** Johnson is still sending a delegation…

Mayor Brandon Johnson postpones trip to the U.S. border. But the city will still send a delegation this week. The Deputy Mayor for Migrant and Immigrant Rights will lead a delegation of state officials, alders and civic leaders. They will depart tomorrow.

— Tahman Bradley (@tahmanbradley) October 16, 2023

[ *** End Of Updates *** ]

* CBS2 showed video of city trucks clearing out the parking lot last week, so I’m thinking the city might be doing more than just considering this site…

City officials are considering building a massive tent to house the more than 3,500 migrants now living at police stations and O’Hare International Airport on a vacant, privately-owned lot in Brighton Park, Ald. Julia Ramirez (12th Ward) said Sunday.

In a statement posted to her official social media accounts, Ramirez said she was working to gather information from the mayor’s office about the city’s plan to open a temporary shelter on a vacant lot near 38th Street and California Avenue.

A spokesperson for Mayor Brandon Johnson did not respond to two requests for comment from WTTW News. Cristina Pacione Zayas, Johnson’s first deputy chief of staff, told reporters Thursday that an announcement of the location of what city leaders call “winterized base camps” was “imminent.” […]

More than 3,567 migrants are living in police stations across the city and at O’Hare International Airport with another 11,043 migrants living in city shelters as of Friday, according to city data. Johnson has said the crisis was caused by “right-wing extremists bent on sowing chaos and division in our city.”

Still curious how the asylum-seekers are gonna stay warm in those tents. Chicago isn’t exactly known for mild winters.

* The Tribune has a story entitled “Democrats welcome mat for migrants is also fraying party’s base”…

From almost the moment he took office, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has championed the state as a sanctuary for immigrants. But in his quest to keep Illinois a “welcoming state,” the welcome mat is becoming politically frayed as Chicago tries to cope with an influx of more than 18,000 asylum-seekers.

What was once altruistic idealism delivered 1,200 miles away from the nation’s southern border is now colliding with realism in how to temporarily house, provide for and resettle thousands of asylum-seekers in a crisis largely orchestrated by Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to use his state’s long-standing border issues to paint leaders in Democratic cities and states as hypocrites.

As each new bus arrives here from Texas and other locales, more political pressure mounts on Pritzker and on Chicago’s new progressive Democratic leadership under Mayor Brandon Johnson.

With no firm plans in place and the only concrete advice to incoming migrants being Pritzker’s warning that “it’s gonna get cold in Chicago and New York very soon,” cracks among the Democratic base, particularly among key ethnic and racial blocs, have emerged over spending taxpayer dollars and housing for migrants.

It’s definitely worth a full read.

* Cold weather is definitely a theme right now…

Even as temperatures drop, Yaritsa Leal and a dozen of her family members are sleeping outside the Town Hall District police station. There isn’t enough room for them inside.

They’ve jury-rigged a tent to shield them from the elements, but it’s not enough to keep out Chicago weather.

“We huddle under there and give each other warmth,” said Leal, 43. “I feel cold, I feel uncomfortable, and I feel scared, but I know that I can’t come here and demand too much.” […]

The North Side police station is one of the few where migrants have recently found some relief inside a city warming bus overnight, but that’s not offered at all stations, and those with little protection are facing a precarious situation advocates worry could become disastrous.

* Sun-Times…

A judge said Friday he was “horribly disturbed” by accusations that a man opened fire at a group of migrants outside a South Side police station, wounding a man from Colombia and a Venezuelan woman holding her child.

Anthony Evans, 25, then led police on a high-speed chase that ended in a crash with serious injuries to an officer that may require amputation, according to prosecutors.

Judge Joseph Gump ordered Evans held in jail while awaiting trial on counts of aggravated battery with a firearm, aggravated driving under the influence and unlawful use of weapon.

* More from Isabel…

CBS Chicago | More than 11,000 migrants are staying in Chicago shelters, census figures show:

* Crain’s | Chicago and Illinois call for faster work authorizations to alleviate migrant crisis: On Sept. 20, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced it would extend the work authorizations for 18 months to migrants who arrived in the United States from Venezuela before July 31. The extension would only apply to Venezuelan migrants, who make up the majority of those crossing the border, although immigrants have arrived from other countries in South America and Central America, as well as Africa.

* NBC Chicago | Chicago charged $7.2M to staff migrant shelters during four-week period, invoices show: As we previously reported, Favorite Healthcare Staffing billed the city $20,000 for a single nurse during one week last December. The new invoices show that despite hourly rates being reduced this spring, Favorite Healthcare Staffing still billed the city for $16,536 for that same nurse to work seven days in April. All told, in the four weeks we examined, the company charged Chicago more than $64,000 for the services of one nurse, who was working at the YMCA High Ridge shelter.

* Reuters | No shade, no water, and record heat: More migrants die in U.S. desert: In the last 12 months through September, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) logged 60 migrant deaths due to heat in the El Paso Sector, triple the same period a year ago.

* Teen Vogue | A Day in the Life of a Teenage Asylum Seeker: I first met Christopher two days earlier, when his family visited my apartment for a video call with an immigration judge — their first meeting through New York City’s court system since they arrived earlier this year. They couldn’t rely on the shelter’s spotty Wi-Fi for such an important call, so the family of four piled into my studio apartment for their morning appointment.

* Block Club | How To Help Migrants In Chicago As Winter Approaches: City officials and community groups said they need temperature-appropriate clothing for the colder months. Also, some groups are trying to help people furnish new apartments as they transition out of city-run shelters and free up space for others.

* WBEZ | What does it mean for Chicago to be a sanctuary city?: But one expert says the term “sanctuary city” has been misused, and that lawmakers, the public and the media conflate the term with policies that provide public benefits and resources.

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A deeper dive into the new Illinois Economic Policy Institute study

Monday, Oct 16, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* We talked about the new Illinois Economic Policy Institute study the other day. From the Tribune’s coverage…

From 2013 to 2022, Illinois saw significant growth in its number of higher-paid taxpayers, including a 52% increase in those earning $100,000 to $500,000 per year, and an 80% surge in taxpayers earning more than $500,000 per year.

Inflation may have helped drive some of that increase. Raises in the minimum wage also may have helped reduce the number of people claiming the earned income tax credit by 11%.

People who moved into Illinois were better educated and more likely to come to attend college than those who moved out. In census surveys, the most common reasons people cited for leaving were work, such as a new job or transfer, along with shorter commutes, better schools, housing and family ties. The main reason most stayed was to be near family.

Those who left Illinois earned 16% lower incomes, were less than half as likely to be homeowners, and less likely to be married than those who stayed. Pandemic-related business closures may have driven some lower-income workers to leave, creating further inequalities between high- and low-income residents.

* I reached out to IEPI economist Frank Manzo to ask him about an Illinois Policy Institute examination of IRS data this past June…

Data from the Internal Revenue Service shows Illinois in 2021 lost residents of every age and income level, with the majority of them prime working-age adults and earning more than $100,000.

Of the residents who left, 51% made more than $100,000 per year, 25% made less than $50,000 and 24% made $50,000 to $100,000.

The IPI ran a similar analysis in 2022.

* What explains the discrepancy between the two looks at tax and other data? Here is Manzo’s response…

The short answer to your question is that the Illinois Policy Institute’s analysis is incomplete, leading to a distorted picture of migration changes in Illinois.

Professor Robert Bruno from the Project for Middle Class Renewal (PMCR) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and I examined a decade of Illinois Department of Revenue tax statistics and a decade of household survey data from the Current Population Survey to assess broad migration patterns (1). With this data, we are able to assess who is moving out of and into Illinois. Importantly, we also look at who chooses to stay. To ensure robustness, our report looks at multiple sources, looks over a long period of time, and includes more observations rather than fewer. I’ve bulleted a few methodological distinctions below.

• First, by focusing exclusively on “net domestic migration,” or people moving within the U.S., the IPI omits people from abroad—which includes active-duty military, students, and expatriates as well as highly-skilled immigrants, asylum-seekers, refugees, and the undocumented. Illinois is an importer of people from abroad, 62% of whom are foreign-born.

• Second, a missing group in IRS tax data is those who do not file taxes. People who don’t earn incomes are not included (but are in surveys). If those individuals are more likely to move out, then the average household income of leavers is lower than a reliance on IRS data would indicate.

• Third, tax return data can be somewhat misleading without understanding what happened to people who stay. As a simple example, let’s say a cook quits an Illinois restaurant and moves to Florida. Illinois loses that tax return. However, if a formerly unemployed resident is hired to fill that position, then there is no net loss in tax returns to the state. The restaurant may even increase the wage to attract a new cook, producing a higher income and more tax revenue. But in the net migration data from the IRS, all that shows up is the lost resident and lost taxes. It is worth noting that the total number of Illinois-resident tax returns grew by 200,000 between 2010 and 2020 and increased in 8 out of the 10 years.

• Similarly, the survey data—considered with economic data—dispels the mythology around why people stay or leave Illinois. The data show increases in taxpayers, lower incomes and disproportionate reliance on government assistance among those who leave, and that migrants tend to be younger (others find that “young people move more” as well) and move for job-related reasons—not because of estate taxes or state and local taxes.

• Finally, in reporting income changes, a focus on 2020 and 2021 is a potentially selective use of data during a once-in-a-century pandemic. We note in our study that post-pandemic dynamics may have resulted in new migration patterns that diverge from earlier trends, but recent data appears to show migration returning to pre-pandemic trends and levels.

Overall, complete datasets and additional context are required for a sound understanding of Illinois’ economy, migration patterns, and the likely impact of public policies.

People should remain wary about Census population estimates going forward. Unfortunately, the Census projections continue to rely on a mix of the official 2020 Census count (which likely undercounted Illinois by 2%), the “Vintage 2020 Population Estimates” (which only thought we were going to have 12.59 million residents, itself a 2% undercount from the official count), and net domestic migration data that led to the “wildly erroneous” projections last decade (2).

To be sure, our report supports a finding that the economy is in transition. As Illinois became a $1 trillion economy, its migration patterns made the state more urban and suburban, more educated, and higher paid. But we also detail how those who are being left behind in under-resourced areas are disproportionately leaving the state. It is for this reason that Professor Bruno and I include potential policy options to suggest how Illinois could better attract and retain people, based on a review of the data on who leaves, who arrives, and who stays—instead of relying on an incomplete picture with key pieces of the puzzle missing.

—————————————————-

1) The Illinois Economic Policy Institute (ILEPI) often partners with academic institutions to ensure that our approaches are methodologically sound and that we are calling balls and strikes in our analyses.

2) The Census’ net domestic migration numbers suggested Illinois lost 966,000 residents from 2011-2020. This means Illinois added at least 948,000 more people from births minus deaths and from net immigration in order to get to a minimum of -18,000 between the two Census counts. Where did these extra 948,000 people come from? Those who assume 100% accuracy of the net domestic migration data should be asked to answer that.

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Mayor finally accepts Statehouse reality

Monday, Oct 16, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…

Gov. JB Pritzker and House Speaker Chris Welch both threw cold water on the idea of a veto session supplemental appropriations bill to help Chicago handle the increasing influx of asylum seekers from Venezuela.

Speaker Welch told reporters last Thursday he had “made it clear” to Mayor Brandon Johnson that “we were not expecting to do a supplemental budget in the veto session,” while the governor told reporters the week before that he hadn’t heard about any plans for a supplemental. Governors always know about supplementals because their office writes them.

There is simply no appetite in the General Assembly to tackle any super controversial issues during the veto session, which runs from Oct. 24 through Nov. 9.

A big part of the reason for wanting a delay until the spring session is that veto session falls smack dab in the middle of petition-gathering season. The migrant issue is super divisive, legislators are getting an angry earful at the doors as they gather petition signatures, and a public vote on spending more tax dollars could very well cause some irate constituents to run against them.

It’s the same basic situation with extending the Invest in Kids Act, a $75 million income tax credit for contributing to groups that then pay for private and religious school scholarships. Teachers unions and progressives hotly oppose extending the program beyond its Dec. 31 expiration date, but some Democrats would still like to see it extended. Unless a reasonable compromise can be found, it’ll likely be kicked to next spring as well.

Plus, Johnson’s recent budget proposal cut the city’s earlier projected spending on the new arrivals by $50 million while increasing spending on other items. That didn’t go over too well with legislators, either.

The message did not seem to get through to City Hall, however. Members of the Johnson administration continued trying to negotiate their case through the news media, before ultimately abandoning their quest.

“Just because there isn’t necessarily a supplemental (appropriation) on the horizon — and I mean, I think those discussions are still happening — there’s ways that there can be funds redirected to the city,” Johnson’s deputy chief of staff, Cristina Pacione-Zayas, told reporters, according to the Chicago Tribune. She also said the city wanted the state to look at “reapplication” of certain state funds.

According to the article, CPZ, a former state senator, pointed to state funding of official Welcoming Centers, which she said could be repurposed to help the migrants. Among many other things last fiscal year, the Illinois General Assembly appropriated $31 million in additional funds for the city and more than $50 million for the state to help deal with the asylum seekers out of the Welcoming Centers program.

“Welcoming Centers are not for asylum seekers exclusively,” Pritzker spokesperson Jordan Abudayyeh emphasized to me. “There are other costs that appropriation has to account for.”

The legislature did approve appropriations for the city’s and state’s migrant responses in the current fiscal year, which will bring total state spending since the crisis began to close to half a billion dollars, the governor’s office says.

And since the city has not done a good job of standing up shelters and then moving people into housing, handing it money intended for the state’s response probably would likely not accomplish all that much. The situation is so bad that migrants are camped in tents outside of police stations now.

But it’s true that not every reallocation of state funding requires a supplemental appropriation bill. Budget items “like rental assistance, support for community-based organizations doing case work and HOME IL lines are increasingly funding services for the asylum seeker response,” Abudayyeh said. The HOME IL program is designed to alleviate homelessness.

This is a very tricky topic. Reallocating money to help asylum seekers only validates complaints by Black and Latino political leaders, including legislators, that their own constituents are being short shrifted by state government in favor of the new arrivals.

Finally, on Friday, Johnson got the message, telling reporters he would wait until next spring to ask for more state money. “When they pass their budget in May, we’ll have some very intentional asks about how we can align our levels of government to meet this demand,” he told reporters, according to Crain’s Chicago Business.

That should help lower the temperature a little by ending the lobbying via news media, which usually doesn’t work in this business anyway. Hopefully, everybody can now get together on the same page and find some actual solutions.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Monday, Oct 16, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Open thread

Monday, Oct 16, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on in Illinois today?…

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Monday, Oct 16, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Governor Pritzker released his tax returns on Friday. Dan Petrella from the Tribune…

* Related stories…

∙ Sun-Times: Gov. J.B. Pritzker, first lady report $2.2 million in taxable income
∙ Crain’s: Pritzker releases 2022 tax information

* Isabel’s top picks…

* Shaw Local | Joliet Township pulls out of grant for asylum-seekers: Joliet Township on Friday announced that it no longer will pursue an $8.6 million grant to provide services for asylum-seekers. The announcement comes two weeks after the grant was announced, stirring a controversy that may have peaked at a raucous township board meeting this week.

* Sun-Times | Palestinian American boy stabbed to death, his mom wounded in suburban hate crime motivated by war in Israel, police say: Police arrived at the home in the 16000 block of South Lincoln Highway about 11:35 a.m. and found Shahin and her son, Wadea Al-Fayoume. Each had been repeatedly stabbed, the boy 26 times.

* Tom Kacich | Pritzker replenishes his campaign fund: Gov. J.B. Pritzker deposited another $12 million into his J.B. for Governor campaign fund earlier this month, his first personal cash infusion into the account since he won election to another term last November over Republican Darren Bailey.

* AP | Booze, beads and art among unclaimed gifts lavished upon billionaire Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker: The second-term Democratic governor and multi-billionaire has been lavished with hundreds of gifts from around the world, ranging from a $950 bottle of Japanese whiskey to 35 cents: a quarter and dime, to be exact.

* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…

* Herald-Whig | Cass County Board member announces candidacy for Frese seat: Republican Eric Snellgrove will run for the seat in the 99th District, which covers parts of Adams, Brown, Cass, Morgan and Schuyler counties. In a statement released Friday, Snellgrove said residents need someone “that relates to us all and will represent all of us in Springfield.”

* Tribune | In what may be state’s first conviction of its kind, ex-DCFS worker guilty of endangerment in death of AJ Freund; supervisor not guilty: “We hope it’s a shift in the landscape,” he said. “We’ve been running across — at least as long as I’ve been here — a significant deficit in the ability of DCFS to investigate these cases, to get us accurate information and to help us keep children safe. … We hope that it is a conclusion where some minor good has come from that unspeakable tragedy.”

* Tribune | Democrats welcome mat for migrants is also fraying party’s base: With no firm plans in place and the only concrete advice to incoming migrants being Pritzker’s warning that “it’s gonna get cold in Chicago and New York very soon,” cracks among the Democratic base, particularly among key ethnic and racial blocs, have emerged over spending taxpayer dollars and housing for migrants.

* Center for Illinois Politics | Illinois Schools: Trying to Maximize on AI Promise Without Falling Prey to its Pitfalls: The Illinois Principals Association (IPA) has created a draft of a student handbook policy regarding the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), defining it as “intelligence demonstrated by computers, as opposed to human intelligence.” It provides examples of AI technology such as “ChatGPT and other chatbots and large language models.” The policy asserts that AI is not a substitute for schoolwork that requires “original thought,” and that using AI to “take tests, complete assignments, create multimedia projects, write papers, or complete schoolwork without permission of a teacher or administrator is strictly prohibited,” and “constitutes cheating or plagiarism.”

* Sun-Times | Burke’s lawyers now say they plan to call Danny Solis to the stand as trial of ex-City Council dean nears: Burke’s lawyers have also been clear about other potential defenses in recent court filings. For example, they’ve written that Solis was “singularly corrupt” and “untruthful.” Meanwhile, Kendall had ordered Burke’s lawyers to disclose by Monday whether they intended to present an entrapment defense. In their filing Friday, Burke’s lawyers said that is not their plan.

* Tribune | First month of bail reform: Challenges, benefits and a reduced jail population in Cook County: “When you implement an entirely new system, there’s obviously going to be a learning curve,” said Scott Schultz, the chief public defender in Calhoun and Jersey counties, two of Illinois’ smallest. Though early days, one anticipated result of bond reform appears to be taking hold: Cook County’s jail population has shrunk by more than 500 inmates, according to data maintained by the sheriff’s office.

* Daily Herald | Tornados in Illinois are increasing, and climate change may play a role, weather experts say: Climatologists say the concept of a tornado “alley,” or lane where the storms are most common, is a bit of a misnomer. It’s more like “tornado country,” they say, historically encompassing Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma and northern Texas and reaching east to the Appalachian Mountains. That area itself, weather experts say, isn’t shifting, but they are seeing more tornadic activity in the more populated states to the east, and that means an increased risk of injury, death and property damage.

* Tribune | Farmers in Illinois and around the country seek more protections under new farm bill as climate change threatens livelihoods, health and crops: If the federal government shuts down, something that was only barely averted at the end of September, it could further delay work on the new bill between mid-November and possibly the rest of the calendar year. The removal of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has created turmoil in the U.S. House and is also likely to put any action on hold for the foreseeable future.

* Crain’s | Johnson begins playing defense after unveiling $16.6 billion budget: Johnson’s plan to close a $538 million budget deficit relies heavily on an increase of $187 million more in revenue projections over what the city projected when it put out its budget forecast just a month ago.

* Tribune | City considers Brighton Park vacant lot as a possible site for migrant tent encampment: The city of Chicago is evaluating a plot of land in Brighton Park as a possible site for winterized tents to house recently arrived migrants, Ald. Julia Ramirez, 12th, confirmed. “This is all very preliminary,” Ramirez said Saturday when asked about the site at 38th Street and California Avenue. “They’re assessing the lot to prepare for winterized tents.”

* SJ-R | Sangamon Link: A look back at racism Springfield’s hotels in 1881: Springfield hotels refused to house America’s best-known Black choral group in 1881. The result was nationwide condemnation, a rebuke from President James A. Garfield, and a scramble by embarrassed local residents to repair the city’s reputation.

* Tribune | Four months later, DuPage County mass shooting puts spotlight on ‘lost community’: Some question why DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick has made no public comments about the investigation, which thus far has yielded only one arrest. Others wonder why they haven’t received the same outpouring of support typically seen after mass shootings.

* WTTW | First Measles Case in Illinois Since 2019 Identified in Cook County, State Public Health Department Confirms: The Cook County Department of Public Health reported a suspected case of measles to IDPH on Tuesday. The measles case was then confirmed by the IDPH laboratory a day later, according to the department.

* Shaw Local | Marijuana cultivation center coming to Fulton: Ground was broken this week on a marijuana grow operation in the Fulton Industrial Park.
Davenport, Iowa-based developer and Fulton Industrial LLC owner Dan Dolan, owner of The Dispensary and Rec Room, paid the city $814,750 for slightly less than 60 acres of vacant land at 31st Avenue and Fourth Street, according to Whiteside County property records.

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Live coverage

Monday, Oct 16, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here or here to follow breaking news.

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Reader comments closed for the weekend

Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* This song popped up on a music feed the other night and, man, I almost forgot how much I love this stuff…

Drink some mellow wine

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Friday news dump! Pritzker releases tax returns

Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Nothing like a Friday news dump during crazy times. From the Pritzker campaign…

Reporters-

Attached are the state and federal tax return summaries for JB and MK Pritzker for the 2022 tax year.

According to the information provided by the trustees, in 2022, trusts benefitting JB Pritzker paid $7.2 million in Illinois taxes and $42.3 million in federal taxes.

JB and MK Pritzker made $1.1 million in personal charitable donations last year.

Will be a fun weekend going through all this. Click here for the federal return and click here for the state return.

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Attorney general files lawsuit against CWLP over massive 2021 coal ash release

Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The lawsuit is here. From Sierra Club Illinois…

Today, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed a lawsuit against Springfield’s municipal utility City, Water, Light & Power (CWLP) for multiple violations of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act, Illinois Pollution Control Board (IPCB) regulations, and CWLP’s Clean Air Act operating permit when CWLP released a massive dust cloud of coal ash across the city in August of 2021.

The lawsuit comes on the heels of the September 7 decision from the IPCB that found CWLP responsible for ongoing groundwater contamination from leaching coal ash ponds in Springfield. The ruling advances litigation that was first filed in 2017 by Sierra Club, Prairie Rivers Network, and Springfield NAACP for documented violations of Illinois groundwater standards.

In addition to the mounting liability on CWLP for coal ash pollution, the utility faces critical decisions about how to meet state emissions reduction requirements and federal power plant standards. Although the Inflation Reduction Act has offered groundbreaking clean energy incentives for publicly owned utilities, CWLP has not conducted a public integrated resource plan since 2018 to guide future decision-making for the Dallman power plant and its future power supply.

In response, Sierra Club Illinois released the following statement:

“We applaud the Illinois Attorney General for taking this critical first step to hold City Water, Light & Power accountable for its pollution, broad mismanagement of handling coal ash, and failure to complete basic record-keeping,” said Christine Nannicelli, Senior Campaign Representative for the Beyond Coal Campaign with Sierra Club Illinois. “From CWLP’s leaching coal ash ponds contaminating groundwater next to Lake Springfield, to the massive coal ash dust cloud and maintenance failures at the center of the Attorney General’s lawsuit, CWLP has repeatedly demonstrated that it can not properly manage its dangerous waste from burning coal.”

“This is a clear call to action, not only for CWLP to make significant improvements to its handling of coal ash, but also to the City of Springfield to make a responsible transition plan beyond coal,” said Nick Dodson, Chair of the Sangamon Valley Group of Sierra Club Illinois. “Ongoing coal use at our power plant only continues to threaten our community and create financial liability for ratepayers. CWLP and Springfield City Council are overdue in their fiduciary responsibility to conduct our next utility planning process to transparently assess the best courses of action for the future of the Dallman plant and our power supply.”

6 Comments

Afternoon roundup

Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* More back and forth…

pic.twitter.com/NyGVQrFj7B

— Rep. Mike Bost (@RepBost) October 13, 2023

About time, Mike. I called for this 3 days ago. Now your establishment buddies can't win and you are losing your election, you come to the table? Glad to see you finally doing what's right on this one, but it won't help you in the primary. We know where you really stand. #twill https://t.co/laoNn4fXLw pic.twitter.com/WlnqNJlkr2

— Darren Bailey (@DarrenBaileyIL) October 13, 2023

* Speaking of Congress…

Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin is running for Congress against longtime U.S. Rep. Danny Davis while she continues to face fallout from recently revealed allegations of unethical conduct in her administration from two former top aides.

A former state representative first elected city treasurer in 2019, Conyears-Ervin was a prominent Davis supporter in 2022 when the incumbent faced a strong challenge from anti-violence activist Kina Collins. This time, Conyears-Ervin is challenging Davis, currently in his 14th term in Congress, and Collins, who is running again. […]

In a letter to the city from the former employees’ lawyers, the two alleged Conyears-Ervin had used government workers to plan her daughter’s birthday party, repeatedly misused taxpayer resources and attempted to force BMO Harris — one of the banks where city money is deposited — to issue a mortgage tied to the building that houses the aldermanic office for the treasurer’s husband, Ald. Jason Ervin, 28th.

Investigators with Chicago’s inspector general last month seized computers from the treasurer’s City Hall offices. The move by Inspector General Deborah Witzburg’s staff came after the release of the letter. It also came after the head of the Chicago Board of Ethics said the agency referred the letter to the inspector general’s office years ago but said the board couldn’t do more unless it received detailed findings from the IG.

* Press release…

Today, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) launched $2.5 million in funding for the new Illinois Economic Empowerment Centers Program (EEC). Eligible career education agencies and non-profit organizations can now apply to serve as EECs to provide entrepreneurship training to prepare individuals from historically marginalized communities to pursue business opportunities in a more inclusive business ecosystem. EECs will be selected through a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) process. […]

EECs will provide business advice, technical assistance, education, and cohort training, including resources and training tailored toward start-ups, existing businesses, and dislocated workers. Selected EECs will provide a variety of services, including management analysis and counseling, business planning and financial planning assistance, market analysis, referrals to educational programs and more.

* I asked Mark Denzler with the IMA if he rode the bus for this entire 8-day, 2,000-mile trip. Yep, he said. Mad props to him and everyone else…

We were honored to be joined by @GovPritzker today to wrap up our 8 day tour that covered 2000+ miles and more than 2 dozen stops to celebrate @MFGday, Manufacturing Monday, and our great Illinois manufacturing industry! #MFGDay23 #MakersOnTheMove pic.twitter.com/BwkPbnv9mT

— Illinois Manufacturers' Association (IMA) (@IMA_Today) October 13, 2023

* Hope this doesn’t happen in Illinois with the dreaded Copi…

Parents, now is the time to be on guard. We are once again reminding you to be diligent about checking your child's candy throughout the Halloween season. Our biologists have just found THREE invasive bighead carp rolled up and shoved inside an almond joy. We are appalled. pic.twitter.com/VPfzCxsm9U

— Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (@OKWildlifeDept) October 13, 2023

* Isabel’s afternoon roundup…

ABC Chicago | AJ Freund case LIVE: Judge makes decision in ex-DCFS workers’ child endangerment trial:

* WTWO | How a rural Illinois town is growing through diversity: “When we moved in years ago from Mexico, [it was for] only one reason, to bring family and get a better life and we make it, we [made] it happen,” Jesus Garza, Mayor of Arcola, said. Garza has been the Mayor of Arcola for 2 1/2 years and is the first immigrant to lead the city.

* Daily Herald | How Kane County is helping the public track cashless bail: The circuit court this month debuted a daily updated dashboard, showing how many cases police departments have sent to first-appearance court, the charges involved, how many petitions for pretrial detention prosecutors have filed, and whether those petitions were granted or denied.

* WCBU | ‘How can I tell if these books are good or bad?’: New Moms for Liberty chapter starts in Tazewell County: Virg Cihla, Dee Fogal and Suzette Swift make up the board of the new chapter in Central Illinois. […] None of them have children currently in school, though Cihla does have a granddaughter in a Tazewell County district and Fogal grew up in Pekin.

* WTVO | Illinois State Police releases response to homelessness guidebook: “Law enforcement officers respond to all types of emergencies and social-service related calls among all populations, including people experiencing homelessness,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “Because of these interactions, officers are in a position to provide information about resources and programs available in communities, and help connect individuals to longer-term solutions to prevent and end homelessness.”

* Shaw Local | La Salle County Jail to house Cook County inmates for $70 per inmate per day: Thursday, the La Salle County Board approved an intergovernmental agreement with Cook County that permits inmate transfers (no more than 50) from Chicago to be housed at the jail in Ottawa. Cook County will pay $70 per inmate per day. Worried about the county taking high-risk transfers from Chicago? Sheriff Adam Diss said there is no cause for concern.

* WCIA | Flex-N-Gate workers stunned as Effingham plant lays off employees: The company announced it is shutting its doors in Effingham because of the United Auto Workers strike in Kentucky. Nearly 9,000 employees left their jobs at Ford’s Kentucky truck plant in Louisville Wednesday night. The news came nearly four weeks after the union began walkouts against Ford, General Motors and Stellantis on Sept. 15.

* WTTW | Chicago Police Officer Who Threatened to Kill Romantic Partner and Their Family Won’t Be Fired: Watchdog: Instead, the officer, who was not identified in the report released by Inspector General Deborah Witzburg in keeping with the city’s rules, was suspended for two months, according to the watchdog’s quarterly report.

* Tribune | Chicago Fire Department’s 2nd-ranking official gets mild punishment after sexual harassment violations: In addition to violating sexual harassment policies, Sheridan failed to cooperate with the investigation, according to the memo. It stated that Sheridan refused to sign a document prepared by human resources summarizing their interview and instead submitted her own statement. She also left a second interview with her lawyer and declined to answer more questions.

* Les Winkeler | IDNR deserves increased funding: As a young adult, I was vaguely aware of what was then the Illinois Department of Conservation. I knew the agency had game wardens to enforce hunting and fishing regulations. I knew the department was responsible for the operation of state parks. However, until I assumed the role as the outdoors writer for The Southern Illinoisan in the late 1980s, I was woefully under-informed about the breadth and scope of the agency.

* NBC Chicago | Synagogues, schools, daycares increase security Friday in Chicago area as precautions: Synagogues, schools and daycares in parts of the Chicago area increased security measures Friday amid reports of “increased threats of violence,” and though officials said no credible threats have been identified, authorities are paying “special attention.”

* Daily Herald | Two years after public uproar, Mount Prospect police choose new patch: The village board voted 4-3 in August 2021 the remove the previous patch over its “thin blue line” imagery. During several board meetings and hours of public comment, along with protests and counter-protests outside village hall, critics of the patch said the imagery had been co-opted by extremist groups and its use was intimidating to people of color.

* Sun-Times | More than 1,000 COVID relief loans went to city of Chicago employees — and many look fraudulent, watchdog says: Deborah Witzburg, inspector general for the city, said her office examined more than 350,000 federal COVID loans approved in the Chicago area. Of them, she found more than 1,000 loans that city employees got from the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.

* Daily Southtown | Spiders get some love and a temporary zoo at Will County program designed to demystify arachnids: A group of youngsters ages 3 to 5 used headlamps and flashlights one evening last week during a free Nature Play Day After Hours to spot the reflections from spiders’ eyes on the grounds outside of the nature center in Crete Township. Occasionally, a parent offered a caution not to get so close, but most simply embraced the excitement instilled by Heather Van Zyl, an interpretive naturalist for the Forest Preserve District of Will County, who enjoyed the outing just as much as the kids.

* WCIA | A brief history of Champaign on its birthday: Champaign was founded in 1855 when the Illinois Central Railroad placed its tracks two miles west of downtown Urbana. The town was initially named “West Urbana” before adopting its permanent name five years later with the acquisition of a city charter. The document provided rights and privileges to create a new governance system.

* Crain’s | Professional cricket has come to the U.S. and Chicago is ready to host a team: “There are definitely some really strong markets for cricket in the U.S. that we don’t currently have a team for, and Chicago is certainly high on that list given the size of the market and the demographics,” said Tom Dunmore, MLC’s vice president of marketing. “Chicago certainly has a lot of the strong characteristics for a major-league cricket team in the future. It’s a really good potential market; all the metrics support it.”

* Block Club | Could The Douglas Neighborhood Get A New Name — Douglass?: The area is named for Democratic senator Stephen Douglas, who had a complicated stance on slavery. Ald. Lamont Robinson wants to rename it in honor of abolitionist Frederick Douglass.

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Illinois a ‘key player’ in $1 billion federal project to develop hydrogen energy hubs

Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Crain’s…

Illinois is a key player in a Midwest project that will receive $1 billion in federal funding to develop hydrogen as a clean energy source.

The $1 trillion infrastructure bill that was passed in 2021 included $7 billion for clean-hydrogen hubs. The Biden administration announced seven hubs this morning, including the Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen, known as MachH2, which involves Illinois, Michigan and Indiana.

The Biden administration estimates that the Midwest hub will create 12,100 construction jobs and 1,500 permanent jobs. […]

Illinois has been pursuing the project for more than a year. The group involved governors of Illinois, Michigan and Indiana, as well as 70 corporate and university partners, including energy companies such as Constellation Energy — which operates several Illinois nuclear plants — Exelon, Nicor, Invenergy and Ameren, as well as Argonne National Laboratory, the University of Illinois, University of Chicago, Governors State University, Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Illinois Chicago, Northwestern and several other Big Ten universities. Other corporate partners include BP and USG.

* From the Biden administration…

Midwest Hydrogen Hub (Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen (MachH2); Illinois, Indiana, Michigan) — Located in a key U.S. industrial and transportation corridor, the Midwest Hydrogen Hub will enable decarbonization through strategic hydrogen uses including steel and glass production, power generation, refining, heavy-duty transportation, and sustainable aviation fuel. This H2Hub plans to produce hydrogen by leveraging diverse and abundant energy sources, including renewable energy, natural gas, and low-cost nuclear energy. The Midwest Hydrogen Hub anticipates creating 13,600 direct jobs—12,100 in construction jobs and 1,500 permanent jobs. (Amount: up to $1 billion)

* Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen…

“I couldn’t be prouder that once again, Illinois and the Midwest will be leading the way in equity-conscious clean energy development through the construction of a major hydrogen production and distribution hub,” said Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. “When I signed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act in 2019, it was with this sort of collaborative, economically sound manufacturing and expansion in mind, and we are seeing the results of those efforts play out every day. We’re grateful that the Biden administration has recognized our regional strength in workforce, education, and innovation, and look forward to working with MachH2 and our neighboring states to continue this project.”

* Sen. Sue Rezin…

“As a member of the Illinois Hydrogen Economy Task Force for the past year, I have been proud to support MachH2’s bid because I know that Illinois has the means and expertise to set a national standard for how clean hydrogen production and distribution can work,” said Sen. Rezin “Today’s announcement of this billion-dollar grant for the MachH2 is extremely exciting news as it is the next step in establishing this regional hydrogen hub that will help lead our state and nation to a better energy future.”

* Sen. Dave Koehler…

“When I led the hydrogen use tax credit, I wanted to display Illinois as an attractive option for hydrogen hubs that will support our agricultural, refinery and transportation industries and create jobs for workers across the state,” said Koehler. “With this announcement, our energy industry will continue to thrive and be known across the country. I would like to thank State Representative Terra Costa Howard and Deputy Governor for Public Safety, Infrastructure, Environment, and Energy Bria Scudder for being champions for Illinois energy.”

* US Rep. Nikki Budzinski…

“By embracing 21st century energy infrastructure, we can create good-paying jobs and protect our planet for future generations,” said Congresswoman Budzinski. “I’m thrilled that the MachH2 Regional Hydrogen Hub will be receiving up to $1 billion in federal support as we work to drive American energy production and economic independence. This project will build on Illinois’ strong leadership in renewable energy innovation.”

Thoughts?

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Republicans, Democrats, And Independents Agree – NO ROFR In House Bill 3445

Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

A statewide survey in Illinois shows that voters are overwhelmingly against the higher electricity costs that would result from “Right of First Refusal” (ROFR) legislation.

Opposed to ROFR:

Voters know that ROFR leads to higher electricity costs. As one woman told her representative on Facebook: “Kindly vote no for higher prices on electricity. We already are paying high prices on everything else!”

ROFR is widely referred to as “crony capitalism” that kills competition, leading to rate hikes for consumers. ROFR has been found to be unconstitutional in some states – one reason why Illinois voters also believe passage would lead to wasteful spending on lawyers and lawsuits.

The Illinois Commerce Commission explains the benefits of competition: “…competition among transmission developers spurs innovative results and helps control costs.”

Transmission construction projects cost billions of dollars, and competition can deliver savings of 20-30%. Illinois ratepayers deserve affordable and reliable electricity. A vote for ROFR is a vote for higher electricity prices for consumers and a weaker grid.

Vote NO on ROFR!

See the survey results: https://www.fairenergyprices.org/il-rofr-survey

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Man charged with making bomb threats in Cook County now charged with bomb threats in Kane County

Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Wednesday…

Police have arrested a suspect for making numerous bomb threats to public libraries, businesses, suburban governments and at least one police station during approximately the past seven weeks, according to information from the Niles, Morton Grove and Skokie police departments.

Jacob N. Spiro, 23, of the 4600 block of Davis Street, Skokie, was arrested Monday in Niles by Niles police with the assistance of Morton Grove police and the FBI Joint Terrorist Task Force, police said in statements. […]

Niles police said 11 threats occurred in Niles and Morton Grove police said 12 occurred in Morton Grove, including some directed at the Morton Grove Library, the Village of Morton Grove and businesses.

Skokie police said in a statement that 16 threats were made in Skokie.

* This morning…

Aurora police arrested and charged a 23-year-old Skokie man determined to be responsible for making the bomb threats against all three Aurora libraries in September, officials said.

Jacob Spiro, of the 4600 block of Davis Street, was charged with two counts of disorderly conduct, false bomb threats, after he was brought into custody Thursday following the issuance of an arrest warrant out of Kane County.

Aurora police worked in cooperation with the North Regional Major Crimes Task Force to investigate the bomb threats made Sept. 12 and Sept. 14 against the libraries located at 101 S. River St., 233 S. Constitution Drive and 555 S. Eola Road.

All three libraries were evacuated around 2:40 p.m. Sept. 12 after police were dispatched to investigate and conduct a physical search at each location, finding no devices, Patch reported. […]

The Skokie man is currently being held in the Cook County jail for unrelated charges, according to spokesperson Joseph Howe, who said additional charges for Spiro have not been ruled out.

14 Comments

*** UPDATED x2 *** No way to run a railroad

Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Tribune…

Johnson’s deputy chief of staff, Cristina Pacione-Zayas, acknowledged the lack of buy-in from many aldermen who were asked to find locations to house migrants in the administration’s race against time before winter.

In September, Johnson rolled out his plan to house new migrants in winterized base camps rather than the Chicago police stations and airports where many are currently huddled. He tasked all 50 aldermen to help scout suitable locations. Pacione-Zayas told reporters Thursday only “about 25%” of them have fulfilled that request.

“We’ve had some of them that understood the assignment,” Pacione-Zayas said. “We’ve had others that, with their back against the wall, have now offered up things, but it’s a work in progress.” […]

She added that she doesn’t see [House Speaker Chris] Welch’s denial of migrant funding in the veto session as a closed door, and said the city appropriating only $150 million in next year’s budget for migrants is “an acknowledgment that this is a shared responsibility.”

1) Their “assignment”? That’s an interesting choice of words, particularly after what we discussed here yesterday.

2) CPZ, who I had great respect for when she was in the Senate, basically acknowledged that the city is reducing its appropriation by $50 million to put pressure on the state. I just don’t see how that’s gonna do anything but backfire.

I went through some other aspects of the Trib story with subscribers earlier today, so I’ll just leave it at that.

*** UPDATE 1 *** It’s actually worse than we thought…

Mayor Brandon Johnson set aside $150 million to cover the cost of housing, feeding and caring for the men, women and children sent to Chicago from the southern border in 2024, even though that is less than half of what the city will have spent to care for Chicago’s newest arrivals through the end of 2023. […]

The migrant crisis is likely to cost taxpayers $361 million between January and December 2023, an increase of more than 4% in the past week, according to updated financial projections released Thursday by the mayor’s office.

*** UPDATE 2 *** At least they finally got the message. Maybe they can figure out an actual ask by next May…

52 Comments

Sorry, not buying it

Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The Wisconsin-based PAC referenced here, McHenry County Citizens for Lower Taxes, was funded solely by Republican congressional candidate Catalina Lauf…

The Huntley school board led by a group whose campaign got thousands in funding from a Wisconsin PAC is considering not taking an $8,000 library grant for the district because it's tied to an anti-book banning law https://t.co/Bs33bOaq4e

— John_Sahly (@JSahly) October 13, 2023

* School board president Andy Bittman received the most money from the PAC. From the Northwest Herald story…

The prospect of Huntley schools accepting a library grant from the state of Illinois – whose new anti-book-ban law means those who take the money can’t restrict material for “partisan or doctrinal” reasons – raised some red flags among District 158 school board members.

Board President Andy Bittman, who called the law “political popcorn” at a Thursday evening board meeting, said he was concerned about the strings attached to the funding, particularly whether they would limit the district’s ability to restrict what students can access on the internet.

“I don’t want to make the internet wide open,” Bittman said.

Wait. Let’s stop right there. According to a spokesperson for Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, the grant “has nothing to do with the internet.”

* Back to the story…

Bittman and Murray ran for the school board last spring on a slate alongside board member Michael Thompson and former board member Gina Galligar, who resigned last month.

Thompson previously told the Northwest Herald about his objections to certain books, specifically mentioning “This Book is Gay” and “Gender Queer,” two books that discuss LGBTQ+ topics, but Thompson said that wasn’t why he objected to them.

Sure.

Also, according to the secretary of state’s office, this round of grants is exempt from the state’s new law.

Hey, they’re free to turn down the state money. But they do need to be called out on their “reasoning.”

[Isabel Miller contributed to this post.]

21 Comments

Best. Meteorologist. Ever.

Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Not only has Tom Skilling been perhaps the nation’s most influential TV meteorologist (he’s a god to Chicago’s agriculture exchange markets), he also comes across as a truly nice and decent man. I don’t think I speak only for myself when I say that while I’ve never met him, I feel like I know him and I really like him. Block Club Chicago…

Tom Skilling, longtime WGN meteorologist and perhaps one of Chicago’s most recognizable broadcast personalities, will retire from the role next year after 45 years delivering local weather forecasts.

Skilling made the announcement on WGN Evening News on Thursday night, reminiscing on his storied career over archives clips of him in action.

Skilling’s final broadcast will be Feb. 28, 2024.

He started working with WGN in 1978, saying with a chuckle: “I had hair back in those days.”

“If you had told young Tom Skilling that he would go on to have a career in weather spanning seven decades, working in Chicago, with some truly wonderful people, I think he would be overjoyed,” Skilling said. “And that’s how I feel today. Overjoyed at the colleagues I’ve worked with, the viewers I’ve met, the stories I’ve covered. Overjoyed and grateful. I wouldn’t trade a single minute of it for anything.”

* Tribune…

An Aurora native, Skilling started his broadcasting career as a 14-year-old high school student at WKKD Radio in his hometown. He studied meteorology and journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison while continuing to work in radio and television. After stops in Madison and Milwaukee, where he was a meteorologist at WITI-TV, he landed at WGN, where Skilling became synonymous with Chicago weather for more than four decades. […]

In addition to his TV duties, Skilling hosted nearly 40 years of severe weather seminars at Fermilab in Batavia. […]

Skilling said he wants to do some traveling and he plans to remain in Chicago after retirement. Beyond that, his future remains up in the air.

* Watch his announcement…

42 Comments

Do The Right Thing – Extend The Tax Credit Scholarship

Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

This program is an investment in poverty reduction and economic acceleration, so lawmakers should do the right thing: Extend the Tax Credit Scholarship Program.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Open thread

Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* It’s Friday! How are y’all doing today?…

18 Comments

Isabel’s morning briefing

Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Illinois’ shortage of teachers have improved, John O’Connor from the AP writes…

* Related stories…

∙ Capitol News Illinois: Illinois’ educator workforce weathered pandemic, but persistent issues remain
∙ Fox 32: Chicago-based nonprofit addresses Illinois teacher shortage with policy report

* Isabel’s top picks…

* Tribune | Illinois leaders tepid about more quick funding for Chicago’s migrant crisis: During an appearance with Gov. J.B. Pritzker, House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch said Chicago will not see a state grant for asylum-seekers in the fall veto session, when Springfield will have the option of designating additional funding for the fiscal year that ends June 30. That means the state might not provide more substantial financial help on migrants until legislators reconvene in the spring.

* Tribune | Stuck in red tape: A Venezuelan migrant’s labyrinthine pursuit of the American dream for her US-born son: She had just received her son’s Social Security card, and was hoping to use it to apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. But, after waiting all day with her newborn, she was told she was at the wrong office. She needed to go somewhere else. Meanwhile, authorities still haven’t released her son’s birth certificate to her because she doesn’t have the right documents. “I’m really sad because if I want to bring Derick home, he needs a passport. And in order to get a passport, he needs his birth certificate,” she said in Spanish. “It’s all impossible.”

* Sun-Times | ‘Karina’s Bill’ advocates aim to take guns from those accused of domestic violence : “I’m here today because two of my constituents, Karina Gonzalez and her daughter, were shot and killed just a few blocks away from my district office,” state Sen. Celina Villanueva, D-Chicago, said at a press conference Thursday. […] Currently, an order of protection revokes a person’s FOID card but “does nothing to get guns out of the hands of those causing harm,” said Amanda Pyron, executive director of the Network, a collection of domestic violence prevention groups.

* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…

* WREX | Governor Pritzker announces paid trainee program for state’s tech workforces: Trainees will receive a minimum yearly salary of $54,000 from DoIT while learning in one of five high-need concentration areas.

* Sun-Times | Crooked Bridgeport bank used these people’s CDs to fuel embezzlement scheme — ‘We were all victims,’ says woman, 83: Most depositors have gotten back all of their money from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., which paid $140 million to cover as much as $250,000 for each person on an account. But four dozen customers — including several who since have died — lost as much as $312,525 each because their accounts exceeded the FDIC’s insurance guarantee limit.

* Shaw Local | A library grant tied to Illinois’ anti-book-ban law raises red flags for Huntley District 158 school board: Board President Andy Bittman, who called the law “political popcorn” at a Thursday evening board meeting, said he was concerned about the strings attached to the funding, particularly whether they would limit the district’s ability to restrict what students can access on the internet.

* Illinois Times | Marijuana money mistakes: A member of the city’s staff called a few months ago to say a $40,000 grant that would have helped L&M Gymnastics & Kids Inc. expand would be withdrawn, she said. The reason given for the withdrawal, she said, was that the gymnastics school she and her husband, Leroy, have operated for 46 years – currently in rented space at 2717 S. 11th St. – hadn’t yet moved into the part of Springfield’s east side designated to benefit from the business grant program.

* Sun-Times | What do recent Illinois corruption trials have in common? State Rep. Bob Rita as a witness.: Rita, D-Blue Island, hasn’t found out yet whether he’ll be asked to testify in a fourth trial — that of former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, who Rita said in one court appearance ruled through “fear and intimidation.” Unlike some witnesses in the trials, Rita has neither been charged with any crime nor compelled to testify under a grant of immunity from prosecution. He has been subpoenaed to testify at the request of federal prosecutors about the Illinois General Assembly’s inner workings and Madigan’s inner circle.

* Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson and nearly every alderman will see pay hikes next year: At 2.24%, the across-the-board hike is a more modest bump than the 9.6% raise aldermen were able to accept at this time last year just before facing voters at the ballot box. Still, it also comes as the mayor and the council dig into a budget that attempts to close an estimated $538 million gap.

* Crain’s | Johnson budget raises concern over fate of LaSalle Street plan: In total, the five selected projects requested $307 million in TIF money from the LaSalle Central TIF district, with one project, from Chicago-based Riverside Investment & Development at 135 S. LaSalle St., requesting a $115 million subsidy to deliver 430 apartments. But Johnson has not committed to LaSalle Street Reimagined.

* WBEZ | Chicago is moving to an elected school board but half of voters aren’t aware, poll finds: About a half of eligible voters do not know Chicago Public Schools is on the precipice of electing school board members for the first time, according to a poll of eligible voters commissioned by Kids First Chicago, a nonprofit education advocacy organization. “Awareness is not extremely high, even among parents who had kids in public schools,” said José Pacas, chief of data science and research for Kids First.

* Crain’s | Stellantis chooses Indiana over Michigan for EV battery plant — again: The companies announced Wednesday that their joint venture StarPlus Energy would invest $3.2 billion to co-locate a new battery plant with one under construction. Combined, the plants come with $6.3 billion in investment, 2,800 new jobs and 67 gigawatt hours of capacity.

* Tribune | A suburban Chicago insurance agent won a contest 40 years ago to make the first commercial cellular call. He’s still on the phone: “This was part of my 15 minutes of fame,” said Meilahn, 74. “Everybody thought it was really a neat novelty that I became the first cellular phone call. But it wasn’t as important the first year as it is today. It’s just part of every person’s life.”

* Sun-Times | Tom Skilling, longtime WGN weather forecaster, to retire in February: “If you had told young Tom Skilling that he would go on to have a career in weather spanning seven decades, working in Chicago, with some truly wonderful people, I think he would be overjoyed,” Skilling said in a statement. “And that’s how I feel today. Overjoyed at the colleagues I’ve worked with, the viewers I’ve met, the stories I’ve covered. Overjoyed and grateful. I wouldn’t trade a single minute of it for anything.”

* Block Club | Open House Chicago Returns This Weekend With 33 New Sites: This year’s festival spans over 20 neighborhoods across the city. More than 30 newly added sites include the family home and birthplace of Walt Disney, a cottage in Hermosa built by the entertainment tycoon’s father in 1893.

* Tribune | 26 marathon runner couples tie the knot: Runner couples get married at the Wrigley Building in River North on Oct. 7, 2023, the day before the 2023 Chicago Marathon. The 26 couples who wed agreed that at least one person of each pair would run the Chicago Marathon.⁠

* Sun-Times | Jeannine M. Baker, matriarch of Chicago blues dynasty, longtime IRS manager, dies at 82: “She was the glue. She held it down when my dad was on the road. She was sweet, but tough, and pushed all of us to be better,” Ronnie Baker Brooks said.

* The Petersburg Observer | The shoebox saga lives on: October 10 marked the anniversary of the sudden passing of Illinois Secretary of State Paul Powell, which sparked one of the biggest scandals in state political history. Three days after his death on Oct. 10, 1970, over $800,000 in cash was discovered in his Springfield hotel room and office, some of it stuffed in a shoebox. The infamous shoebox has since become symbolic of the sordid political history of Illinois, and begs the question of where the money came from – which has never been completely answered.

35 Comments

Live coverage

Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here or here to follow breaking news.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Update to previous editions

Thursday, Oct 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Thursday, Oct 12, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* From the Democratic Party of Wisconsin…

Last night, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin was proud to welcome Illinois Governor JB Pritzker at the 2023 WisDems Founders Day Celebration in Milwaukee. In his remarks, Gov. Pritzker reflected on Democratic victories in Wisconsin, Illinois, and across the Midwest and rallied Wisconsin Democrats ahead of 2024.

Watch Governor Pritzker’s speech and read an excerpt from his remarks below:

“Wisconsin Democrats — you are the Ewok army of the political cinematic universe. You are a polite group of absolute assassins who bring down the entire Imperial shield generator by the end of the movie. I mean, you rid your state of Scott Walker. And you replaced him with a principal, an educator, a thoroughly good and decent man, Wisconsin’s Obi Wan Kenobi, and you elected Tammy Baldwin to the US Senate — who in addition to being history making — is like a Jedi Master, fighting for Wisconsin to get more affordable healthcare and to restore domestic manufacturing to your state. And you voted Emperor Palpatine — I mean Donald Trump — out and you put Joe Biden in.”

[…]

“When Republicans are running things, on the other hand, it always feels like the 4th hour of Thanksgiving dinner when all your old, angry uncles got together over Malort to yell about the dangers of rap music and the hippie that married your cousin. I mean Republican Uncle Ron and Uncle Don can’t handle the good Thanksgiving plates without dropping it — but now they want to take control of the nuclear arsenal and develop the health curriculum in your high school?”

[…]

“I know you are tired of elections where everything is on the line, and I wish I could say it was going to change sometime soon. But this is a mission ready made for Wisconsin Democrats. You have had to hold onto hope for so many years. You have had to be persistent through so many trials. And you are winning more battles than you are losing — and I implore you, from all of us, I implore you to continue to show the rest of the country how it’s done.”

* WTAX…

Former Congressman Rodney Davis said he believes Scalise is the man to take over the gavel in the House. […]

Davis was disappointed to see Kevin McCarthy removed as House Speaker, but said Scalise is the right replacement because he works to build strong relationships with fellow lawmakers.

“I mean this is a guy, in my case, made sure that in the Capitol building in his office — it was always stocked with my favorite beer Busch Light, and I think everyone in the Midwest will be happy to hear that,” Davis said.

* More…

* Crain’s | Chinese EV battery maker Gotion inks real estate deal for Manteno plant: Gotion High Tech Co. said its wholly owned U.S. subsidiary has signed agreements to purchase real estate assets including land and factories for an EV battery assembly project it intends to build in Manteno. The Chinese electric-vehicle battery maker disclosed the information in a statement posted on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange on Thursday.

* Illinois Times | Springfield jury awards $19 million to former inmate: Nicole Schult, a lawyer for the Uptown People’s Law Center in Chicago, which represented Doe, said this may be a record judgment against the Illinois Department of Corrections. “We had heard rumors of this kind of rampant sexual abuse happening at Logan since it became a women’s facility,” she told Illinois Times. “We also knew that these kinds of things were happening all over the state. … It is really difficult for women in custody to report sexual assault because of the retaliation, and oftentimes, even actual punishment with segregation.”

* Center Square | After vagueness hearing, federal judge could strike down Illinois’ gun ban: Judge Stephen McGlynn said the crux is whether the law infringes on a constitutional right to keep and bear arms. After the hearing Wednesday in East St. Louis, Maag said a summary judgment would have teeth.

* SJ-R | Illinois taxpayers help fund Pritzker administration’s global trade missions: According to a public records request made by The State Journal-Register, the administration has embarked on six trips since 2021. These trips included several to Japan and the United Kingdom along with South Korea, Switzerland and Taiwan. Travel expenses, including hotel and airfare plus a per diem were mostly covered by the state for a total just shy of $93,250 per data from the governor’s office.

* WREX | Governor Pritzker announces paid trainee program for state’s tech workforces: Governor Pritzker announced Thursday that the Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology (DoIT) is starting a paid trainee program to build a pipeline of tech talent to meet the growing demand. Trainees will receive a minimum yearly salary of $54,000 from DoIT while learning in one of five high-need concentration areas.

* WCIA | Frerichs announces $10 million state investment in Israel Bonds: This investment is the latest of several Frerich’s office has made since he became Treasurer of Illinois in 2015, totaling over $100 million. He explained that the investments diversify the state’s portfolio, draw attention to the partnership between the state’s economy and Israel and achieve a good return from what is described as a safe investment – Israel Bonds have never defaulted in their 70 years as an investment.

* Block Club | Impacted By Summer Flooding? You Have Until Monday To Apply For Federal Relief : Anyone who was affected by the June 29-July 2 storms — which caused severe flooding, particularly on the West Side and western suburbs — is eligible to apply for support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The deadline is Oct. 16.

* Crain’s | Suburban office vacancy nears 30% as workspace cutbacks continue: Fueled by big blocks of sublease space that hit the market, the share of available office space in the suburbs increased to 29.7% at the end of September from 28.9% midway through the year, according to real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle. The new vacancy rate is up from 27.3% a year ago and 22.1% when the COVID-19 pandemic began.

* Crain’s | TransUnion agrees to pay $23 million in fines in 2 settlements: TransUnion Rental Screening Solutions and its Chicago-based parent, TransUnion, will be required to pay $11 million, which will be used to compensate consumers, and a $4 million civil penalty. The settlement, which must still be approved by a federal court in Colorado, is the largest amount ever recovered in an FTC tenant-screening matter.

* Daily Southtown | Homer Glen to ask voters in March whether to discontinue Homer Township government: “When the village incorporated (in 2001), and was going through the incorporation effort, a lot of residents of the township questioned another layer of government,” said Trustee Sue Steilen, who voted in favor of the referendum. “I think the village has run efficiently, and now it’s time to question whether we need the extra layer of government of a township.”

* Chalkbeat | Rising share of Chicago Public Schools graduates are pursuing college, study finds: The study’s findings run counter to national trends of sagging college enrollment during the pandemic; nationwide enrollment in two- and four-year colleges fell by .6% from 2021 to 2022, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Many young people across the nation are questioning whether higher education is worth the cost, said Jenny Nagaoka, one of the study’s authors and deputy director of the Consortium on School Research.

* Effingham Daily News | Flex-N-Gate employees told not to report to work for rest of week: A Flex-N-Gate employee at the Effingham plant confirmed Thursday that workers have been told not to come in for the rest of the week. The local development comes after 8,700 members of the United Autoworkers union struck the Ford truck plant in Louisville, Ky. on Wednesday night. The Kentucky strike comes nearly four weeks after the union began its walkouts against General Motors, Ford and Stellantis on Sept. 15, the Associated Press reported.

* Shaw Local | New DeKalb solar developments powered by Illinois’ clean energy law:Solar energy developer SunVest Solar unveiled two community solar installations Tuesday along 24 acres off Gurler Road and South First Street. Officials said the solar developments were made possible due to Illinois’ Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker in September 2021.

* Daily Herald | District 25 to pay at least $1.3 million to hire new kindergarten and gym teachers: At least a dozen teachers will be hired to staff Arlington Heights Elementary District 25 classrooms when expanded kindergarten programming begins next school year, the school board decided this week.

* Sun-Times | Man pleads guilty to weapons charges in fatal shooting of Chicago police officer Ella French: Morgan’s brother, Emonte Morgan, is accused of fatally shooting the officer during a Aug. 7, 2021 traffic stop and faces a first-degree murder charge. Emonte Morgan’s trial has been set for early next year, but could still be pushed back.

* Crain’s | Walgreens outlines $1 billion cost-cutting plan: The cost savings, expected to be realized in the second quarter of fiscal year 2024, include reducing nonessential spending, cutting back on contracted and project work, and optimizing its transportation network, Walgreens leaders told investors Thursday morning. Other cost-cutting strategies include closing unprofitable stores or reducing store hours in locations that can accommodate it.

* SJ-R | Springfield Clinic preparing to open two new facilities: The new pediatric center, located along Old Jacksonville Road, is one of two new facilities that the clinic plans to open in the next month. A new lab facility at the corner of 7th Street and South Grand Avenue East will be fully operational at the end of the month, providing a newer, better facility for lab operations that were shunted into the basement of their main campus on South 6th Street.

* Tribune | New Louis Armstrong musical ‘A Wonderful World’ sounds its trumpet in Chicago: Armstrong’s years in Chicago also explains the presence this week in a Randolph Street coffee shop of James Monroe Iglehart, a much loved Broadway star best known for his Tony Award-winning performance as the Genie in the original 2014 Broadway production of Disney’s “Aladdin,” a tour de force piece of acting that somehow managed to pay homage to Robin Williams’ vocal performance in the animated movie while physicalizing it entirely as his own.

* Sun-Times | Aerial waterfowl survey shows more ducks than usual on IRV: But… strong winds and colder temperatures on the prairies have moved birds into our region, especially the IRV. I estimated 83,580 ducks in the IRV on Monday, 41% more than the 10-year average of ~59,000 ducks. However, early duck abundance along the MS river continues to trend below the LTA. I observed 37,785 ducks along that river this week, 37% below the 10-year average.

24 Comments

Question of the day

Thursday, Oct 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Wut…

* From the link…

Study Group with Congressman Rodney Davis: Political Prisoner or Not? You Decide

Tuesday, October 17, 2023 at 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Illinois is know for sending Governors to prison. The last two, one Democrat and one Republican, maintain that they were treated unfairly. Students can listen to one of them and determine if his convictions are another example of a two tiered justice system in this country or not.

GUEST: Rod Blagojevich, Former IL. Governor, will join Resident Fellow, Congressmen Rodney Davis, in-person for the October 17 session.

AUDIENCE: These conversations are open to members of the Harvard community. Please RSVP with a valid Harvard email address.

OFF-THE-RECORD: In keeping with our long tradition at the IOP to ensure honest and candid discussions of politics, all IOP study groups are off-the-record.

* The Question: Your predictions of Rodney’s questions and RRB’s answers?

57 Comments

Report shows teacher shortage ’showed signs of stability and even improvement,’ but other problems worsen

Thursday, Oct 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The full report is here. From Advance Illinois…

Illinois’ much-publicized teacher shortage crisis actually showed signs of stability and even improvement during the exceptionally challenging COVID-19 pandemic period, a new report from education policy expert Advance Illinois has found. Still, despite encouraging progress, there is much work ahead to ensure there are high-quality, diverse educators in Illinois classrooms and some concerning trends to overcome, the report finds. […]

The new report found:

• Illinois has more teachers, support staff, and school leaders working in classrooms today than it has in over a decade, calculated both in general and per student
• The supply of new teachers and principals has gradually increased in recent years, while supply of new paraprofessionals, one of the state’s largest shortage areas, has declined
• More educators have stayed in their jobs and in their schools, even during the difficult first two years of the pandemic and given significant challenges with school climate. Whether these gains hold remains to be seen when data from the 2022-2023 school year is made available.
• Last year, just over half of districts had no teacher vacancies. That said, schools continued to face challenges staffing certain positions—with some of the most severe challenges including paraprofessional positions, special education teaching positions, and bilingual teaching positions.
• Despite research indicating that teacher diversity benefits all students, racial disparities at every stage of Illinois’ educator pipeline—from recruitment and supply to retention— persist.
• While the diversity of candidates going into teaching in Illinois is increasing (and Illinois has much greater diversity in its teacher preparation programs than neighboring states), overall diversity of our teacher workforce continues to lag student diversity by significant margins.
• Illinois invested many of its federal stimulus (ESSER) dollars for programs to help strengthen and diversify the workforce. As federal funds expire, Illinois will need to continue to make critical investments in the pipeline, ultimately for the sake of students.

The report notes that the state did lower the age requirement for some paraprofessionals and now allows for short-term (3 years) approval before fulfilling the licensing requirement, so that may help. But the supply had dropped and demand soared before the changes were implemented in July of 2022.

7 Comments

Durbin and the rest of the delegation need to stop this

Thursday, Oct 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Michael Loria at the Sun-Times…

Many, like Davila, told the Sun-Times they came to Chicago at the recommendation of Catholic Charities in San Antonio. […]

Leaders at Catholic Charities in San Antonio have said sending migrants via plane [to Chicago] is more humane than busing them, which can be a lengthy journey, during which one migrant toddler died in August.

“How would you feel about being in a bus for two days without knowing the language?” asked Antonio Fernandez, CEO of the San Antonio nonprofit. […]

The plane tickets are paid for using funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Fernandez said. The nonprofit has been awarded $48 million through FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program since December. That’s compared to about $7 million awarded to Chicago, according to FEMA.

Those funds are spent on staffing the welcoming center to ensure they deliver “trauma-informed care,” according to Fernandez, but most is spent on transportation.

So, they’re using most of their federal funding to send people to Chicago, while Chicago receives a pittance out of that same federal pot.

That’s gotta be the dumbest thing I’ve yet seen about this entire mess.

…Adding… To be clear here, since some of y’all are getting off on tangents in comments, the federal government needs to stop funding the uncoordinated shipping of asylum-seekers to other states.

31 Comments

*** UPDATED x1 - Speaker Welch: ‘Not expecting to do a supplemental budget in veto session’ *** I really doubt the mayor’s proposal to cut spending on new arrivals is gonna put pressure on the state

Thursday, Oct 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Normally, I would praise something like this. Crain’s…

Johnson is proposing contributing $307 million in advance pension payments on top of the actuarially required amount

But here’s Fox 32…

Outlined in his 2024 budget proposal, Mayor Brandon Johnson wants to spend at least $150 million for what he’s calling “new arrivals services.”

That’s it?

* More from Crain’s…

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s $16.6 billion budget allocates $150 million for the city’s ongoing migrant response, down over $50 million from the city’s estimate released a month ago even as city officials expect an increase to the number of daily buses arriving in the city. […]

The city currently estimates it is spending more than $31 million a month on its migrant mission and has struggled to receive its full funding requests from the state or federal government. […]

The move, which also helped the city close its $538 million budget gap, also ramps up the pressure on Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the federal government to provide additional funding to the city in 2024.

Um, the city cuts its anticipated new arrivals spending, which was woefully inadequate to begin with, while spending $307 million on advance pension payments? And that’s supposed to somehow put pressure on the state?

Sure, Jan.

*** UPDATE *** House Speaker Chris Welch was asked about his meeting with Mayor Johnson last week. Speaker Welch said they talked about the migrant situation and how the federal government needed to step up. Asked about whether he was asked about a supplemental budget to help the city, Welch said…

At that time, there was no request made specifically because I think I made it clear that we were not expecting to do a supplemental budget in the veto session.

…Adding… Yes, he’s reading it right. The mayor proposes cutting the budget to the committee overseeing this issue…

Am I reading this correctly? Because it sure looks like @ChicagosMayor thinks that the Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights

and ONLY that Committee

will somehow need LESS FUNDING than last year pic.twitter.com/4wcFGL2fWZ

— Anthony Moser (@mosermusic) October 12, 2023

You gotta wonder what signal he’s trying to send here.

…Adding… From Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa…

The 2024 budget proposal reduces the budget for the committee by $10,000, all in “contractual services,” which can go towards things like part-time contractors or newspaper subscriptions. I haven’t looked into it, but my guess is the committee didn’t make use of the $10,000 for “contractual services” in the prior year, hence why that line item was zeroed out. […]

I don’t think it sends any message because the committee isn’t involved in direct services, just oversight of the city’s migrant mission. And the committee is currently fulfilling that oversight role without making use of the funds allocated for contractual services.

Also, the city is creating an Office of New Arrivals within DFSS — the city is beefing up personnel where it’s needed. What message does it send that the city is creating a dedicated team of people within DFSS to support the migrant mission?

The Latino Caucus and Immigration Committee members advocated for additional staffing to assist with the migrant mission. We didn’t advocate for additional committee funding because we know that’s not where the funding is needed.

…Adding… Ald. Andre Vasquez just called. He said he caught that budget number the night before the budget was released and was told the appropriation was in error and he’s now in talks with the city on a revised number that isn’t a cut.

22 Comments

Drivers Sign Up To Drive With Uber As A Flexible Way To Manage Rising Costs

Thursday, Oct 12, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department

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Two Black state legislators publicly vow to oppose migrant funding bill

Thursday, Oct 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Sen. Preston and Rep. Nichols are both relative newbies (Preston much more so than Nichols), and are both standing before voters next year, and we’re only a month or so into the three-month petition-gathering season. Just an FYI as you read this BlockClub Chicago story…

It was a packed house Wednesday night at Auburn Gresham’s Healthy Lifestyle Hub, 839 W. 79th St., as state Sen. Willie Preston and Rep. Cyril Nichols joined dozens of neighbors to answer questions and listen to feedback about the city’s surge in migrant arrivals. Preston unexpectedly announced the town hall on Tuesday. […]

Preston told neighbors he would vote “no” on any state budget decisions that provide funding for the winterized tent camps. Nichols encouraged neighbors to vote and support their local officials to see active change.

“We can’t spend millions and millions on people who just got here while I step over my people lying in tents,” Preston said. “We can’t keep taking on new tasks when we haven’t handled the first ones yet.”

Preston said he will take neighbors’ concerns back to the state Senate floor.

The veto session is scheduled during petition season as well. As we saw earlier this week, Gov. JB Pritzker is lukewarm (at best) to a supplemental appropriation for the city. And the mayor has not even yet named a director of intergovernmental affairs. Lovely.

Mayor Brandon Johnson is not responsible for the crush of asylum-seekers coming to Chicago. His city doesn’t have adequate resources, either.

But he is responsible for his repeated failures to address the problem. He has, for instance, been repeatedly rebuffed when he’s attempted to open new shelters without first consulting with local stakeholders, including alderpersons. Instead of realizing his mistake, he has repeated it over and over and over again.

* Ald. Villegas said the other day that the city had kept him in the dark about a proposed shelter site. Here’s the Tribune…

In Ukrainian Village, the city is moving forward with a proposal to house migrants in an industrial two-story building with two bathrooms in the 500 block of North Western Avenue.

A community meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at Chopin Elementary, 2450 W. Rice St., to discuss plans with the city, said Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th, whose ward encompasses the proposed shelter site. Villegas said the building needs major renovations. […]

He’d heard about the strong community response in the 29th Ward and the decision to halt plans there.

“The community stepped up and said they didn’t want that,” he said. “So is that the key? Just get loud and we will move it? If that’s the case, I will let my community know they need to get loud about this whole situation here.”

Most politicians learn pretty fast how to judge the playing field. Mayor Johnson clearly does little to no advance work on the ground, then abruptly backtracks when locals object. And then the push-back grows as people see that the best way to stop a shelter is to yell loudly enough. So, the ugly and mean-spirited situation snowballs further. And this particular snowball is the size of McCormick Place.

Again, this is a horrible national and international problem and the mayor is not at fault for the deluge and nobody expects him to solve everything. But his repeated failures have to stop because he is making things so much worse than they need to be.

The Pritzker administration absolutely must start taking more control there.

35 Comments

Open thread

Thursday, Oct 12, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* This week is flying by. What’s goin’ on? Keep it Illinois-centric please…

4 Comments

Isabel’s morning briefing

Thursday, Oct 12, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson released his first city budget. Crain’s…

* Related stories…

∙ Sun-Times: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s first city budget offers down payment on campaign promises
∙ Tribune: Digging into the numbers in Mayor Brandon Johnson’s budget
∙ BGA: 2024 Chicago Budget Overview

* Isabel’s top picks…

* Sun-Times | Businessman James T. Weiss gets 5 1/2 years in prison for bribing 2 state lawmakers, lying to the FBI: “Mr. Weiss, you added another star to Chicago’s walk of shame on the sidewalk of corruption,” U.S. District Judge Steven Seeger said at the end of a nearly five-hour hearing at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse.

* Automotive News | UAW expands strike to Ford’s Kentucky Truck Plant, adding 8,700 to picket lines: The union announced the walkout on social media, effective immediately, saying Ford “refuses to make further movement in bargaining.” The union telegraphed the move about 45 minutes before the official announcement with a post that it quickly deleted.

* Daily Herald | New transit plan clears first hurdle. Next stop, Springfield: Members of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and the MPO Policy Committee on Wednesday approved a sweeping proposal aimed at improving the transit system and ensuring stable revenues. […] At the behest of the General Assembly, CMAP prepared the Plan of Action for Regional Transit (PART) report that includes a controversial recommendation to integrate Metra, Pace and the CTA into one supersized agency.

* Here are some photos by Rich of Senate President Don Harmon’s special session at FitzGerald’s…

* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…

* WAND | Pritzker, University of Chicago students discuss major political issues: “State’s attorneys are not used to having to go in and make a case for keeping somebody in jail who is a flight risk or danger to the community,” Pritzker said. “They’re not used to having to make that case. They would just go in and say ‘we want this much bail.’ Right? Now they have to actually make a case about why somebody has to be kept in jail.”

* ABC | Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker tries to turn Biden’s age into an asset: Last week, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker drew national headlines when he wrote a strongly worded letter to President Joe Biden saying his White House needed to step up action on the migrant surge in Chicago. But this week, Pritzker rose to Biden’s defense on one of the most fraught issues of the president’s re-election: age.

* Capitol News Illinois | Controversial carbon dioxide pipeline paused following regulatory setbacks: The move came two weeks after regulators in South Dakota rejected the company’s application to build a portion of the pipeline in that state. Among other reasons, officials at that state’s Public Utilities Commission said the company failed to demonstrate that the project was safe, and that it could negatively impact the region’s development.

* Times-Republic | Wynn Bence seeking nomination for 53rd Illinois Senate seat: According to a news release, Wynn Bence served as Bennett’s Chief of Staff before accepting a position as the downstate/Springfield director and legislative liaison for then Illinois Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti, where she was appointed the principal staffer for the Governor’s Rural Affairs Council and led working groups on policy in the areas of workforce development, economic development, rural health and education.

* Sun-Times | Catholic Charities flights lead to surging number of migrants at O’Hare: Since a phone call with Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration in early September about the strain put on the city by the arrival of more migrants, Fernandez said the charity has been encouraging migrants to pick a destination other than Chicago if they don’t have a sponsor. […] In the week after that phone call, the number of arrivals from San Antonio, the vast majority of whom are sent by Catholic Charities, still grew by 33%, according to city data.

* Tribune | Metra proposes new set of fares in 2024 budget: The proposal includes no planned substantial changes to schedules, as Metra faces continued low ridership and a looming fiscal cliff once federal pandemic aid runs out, but the agency is eyeing service additions or changes as needed.

* Sun-Times | Evanston commission rejects Northwestern plan for Ryan Field concerts: But the school has insisted concert revenue is essential to make the $800 million project viable. During the meeting, Dave Davis, senior executive director of neighborhood and community relations for NU, pressed that point. “This project cannot and will not move forward without this approval,” Davis said.

* Shaw Local | New trustee appointed to embattled Joliet Township board: On Tuesday, Antione Edwards was unanimously appointed as a trustee to the board. His appointment followed three hours of public comment where township officials such as Township Supervisor Angel Contreras were heavily criticized by residents over a grant for asylum-seekers.

* Tribune | Cook County prosecutors drop charges against man accused in rapper’s slaying amid allegations of prosecutorial misconduct: But in the years since, the case has come under scrutiny, with defense attorneys publicly accusing Rolling Meadows police and Cook County prosecutors of hiding “tubs” of evidence. An Illinois appellate court also reversed the convictions and ordered a new trial in 2016, finding that a judge should have allowed Taylor’s lawyers to present testimony from an expert about the potential pitfalls of eyewitness identification.

* Sun-Times | Duckworth touts Illinois clean energy advancements in trip to Romania, U.K., tries to reassure allies about Ukraine funding: The Illinois senator is in Europe on a multi-leg trade trip promoting the state’s clean energy advancements. But Duckworth is also reassuring foreign allies that aid to Ukraine remains a top priority for Democrats — no matter what drama ensues among House Republicans.

* NYT | As Red States Curb Social Media, Did Montana’s TikTok Ban Go Too Far?: The popular video-sharing app is suing Montana to halt a first-of-its-kind state law that would ban TikTok in the state on Jan. 1. The law was drafted by Montana’s Republican attorney general and signed by its governor in May. TikTok is asking the court to block the ban through a preliminary injunction.

* AP | Grand National to reduce number of horses to 34 and soften fences in bid to make famous race safer: The race will also start earlier in the day, so the course stays as soft as possible, and the horses will set off from a standing start. The Grand National has had a field of 40 horses since 1984, which has often been cited — along with the size of the fences — as a key reason why 16 horses have died in the race since the turn of the century.

* NBC Chicago | Rolling Stones, MLB partner up for limited edition White Sox-Cubs vinyl records for new album: The rare collector’s item will be available exclusively on The Rolling Stones’ website. Fans have the option to choose a vinyl record with a custom design for all 30 MLB teams. You can preorder the vinyl album now, or wait until the album’s release to purchase the item on their website.